The only thing that could stop both Cullen and van Graan naming their strongest sides though is the two Champions Cup games in the following weekends.

It is a congested fixture list that could see Johnny Sexton rested at the Aviva, potentially starving rugby fans of a potential matchup with his old understudy Joey Carbery who has made an impressive start for Munster since moving south.

Still no sign of teams!

Robbie Henshaw relishing competition for places in Ireland team

Robbie Henshaw is relishing the competition for Ireland places despite having to sit out the action last weekend.

In his first two years as a Leinster player, Henshaw’s first game of the new season was the opening PRO14 clash with Munster.

Injury was the cause of the late starts but this time around he was able to hit the ground running with three games in as many weeks in September against Scarlets, Dragons and Edinburgh.

But game management kept Henshaw out of last Saturday’s victory over his former club Connacht and meant he missed a head-to-head clash with Bundee Aki, his former provincial team-mate and main rival for the No12 Ireland jersey against Argentina and the All Blacks next month.

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09:20

Rob Kearney admits Leinster and Munster's animosity has diminished

Rob Kearney recalls how times have changed for the better in Irish rugby’s biggest rivalry from the slap on the backside he received from Paul O’Connell over a decade ago.

That was just after Christmas in 2006, when the boot of Ronan O’Gara helped Munster to a resounding win on Kearney’s Thomond Park debut - and made it a torrid afternoon for the young replacement full-back.

Rob Kearney of Leinster and Ireland joined Goodbody today to announce their new partnership with Rugby Players Ireland (Image: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

“I came on for Girvan Dempsey, who got injured in the first half,” remembered Kearney.

“It was pouring rain. ROG kept putting up and unders to me - and I kept dropping them one after another.

“I remember Paulie coming up and smacking me on the arse and saying, ‘Best of luck kid, you’ll get the next one, you’ll get the next one’.

“Then, after the game, I was talking to my old man and he couldn’t get over how nice Paul O’Connell was, encouraging me during the game.